Chapter 106

Claire's POV The morning sun felt unusually harsh as I prepared for work, its light streaming through my apartment windows with an intensity that seemed to mock the careful normalcy I was trying to maintain. I'd slept better than I had in weeks, wrapped in the security of Theo's public declaration and the promise that the whispers would finally end. For the first time in days, I felt like I could breathe freely, like the weight of speculation and judgment had been lifted from my shoulders. I selected my clothes with particular care—a navy blazer paired with tailored trousers that projected competence and professionalism. Today felt like a new beginning, the start of a chapter where I could finally focus on my research without the constant distraction of cruel gossip following me through every corridor. The first sign that something was wrong came when I opened my apartment door. A wall of camera flashes erupted in my face, so sudden and blinding that I instinctively threw my hand up to